Carmes Haut Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2021

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2024

N°57 TOP 100 JS FRANCE 
The texture and weight make this wine classy and unique with subtle berries, chocolate, bark and hints of cloves and dried flowers. Graphite. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated, fine and lightly chewy tannins with lots of polish and focus. Juicy and crunchy. So much spice and earth. Average vine age of the cabernet franc is 80 years. 45% whole-bunch. 40% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot. Give this time, but it’s already a fascinating young wine. Try after 2027.

Vinous

95

byNeal Martinthe4/2/2024

N°17 TOP 100 VINOUS - The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was one of the best wines of the vintage when I tasted from barrel. This contains 49% whole-bunch (a slightly higher figure than Guillaume Pouthier gave me during en primeur). The barrel-aging has what Pouthier called a "white toasting", very light, so that you don't smell the oak (70% new). It has a complex bouquet, quite open with mainly red fruit, cedar and hints of pressed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled, unobtrusive tannins that imbue this Pessac with a sense of symmetry. It possesses thrilling salinity and is a little granular in texture on the finish, completing perhaps the most impressive wine of this challenging season.

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2024

The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very possibly the wine of the vintage. Vertical and explosive, the 2021 possesses mind-blowing intensity and dynamic energy to burn. The 2021 is a heady, racy wine that captivates all the senses. Tobacco, mocha, cedar, leather, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and plum saturate the palate in a wine that dazzles from start to finish. The 2021 was bottled in late September 2023, much later than most wines, yet it is so expressive today. It was magnificent from barrel, and it is every bit as breathtaking today. Quite simply, Les Carmes is on another level. Bravo!

Wine Advocate

95

byWilliam Kelleythe2/22/2024

The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully in bottle, though it is more introverted and brooding than it appeared during en primeur tastings, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with spices, loamy soil, licorice, rose petals, gentian and black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a concentrated core of fruit framed by ripe but abundant structuring tannins and bright acids, it concludes with a long, palate-staining finish. As readers may remember, it's a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot.

Decanter.com

96

byGeorgina Hindlethe11/30/2023

A gorgeous aromatic display draws you in: crystalline, floral with iris, peony and violet, herbal, earthy and fruity. Sumptuous, this is a classy wine, beautifully smooth but with powdery tannins that give grip and intensity to the structure. It’s grippy at the moment, not as ethereal or silky as some right now, but it’s characterful with power, all while being nuanced and detailed. Charming but still yet to fully come out of its shell. Crunchy, great energy and focus with salty minerality on the finish. This will be a beauty.

matthewjukes.com

17,5

byMatthew Jukesthe8/2/2022

As always, this is a rich and full-bodied wine, and while the tannins seem fairly intense, they should even out. The oak is also mighty and perfumed, but for some reason, it works, and the spice and perfume balance out the sheer intensity of the fruit. I have put a ‘+’ next to my score because the tannins are firm, but I wonder whether they might propel this wine forwards for a longer than usual life, but don’t let this put you off opening a bottle after five years to check out how it is doing. 17.5+

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

This is a special wine for the vintage with a wonderful and impressive tannin texture that melts into the wine, giving softness and finesse. Medium-bodied, showing a solid core of fruit with beautiful, focused cassis, blackberry and crushed-stone character. The unique terror of this estate, which is surrounded by houses in a suburb of Bordeaux, has produced a gorgeous wine in this difficult vintage. 45% whole bunches. 40% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

I'd put the 2021 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot, aging in 80% new barrels, it offers a brilliant perfume of plum and black raspberry fruits supported by lots of spice and exotic floral notes. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a rounded, expansive mouthfeel that's rare to find in the vintage, terrific mid-palate depth, moderate acidity, and a great finish. It's a singular, brilliant Pessac that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-25+ in cold cellars. Enough can't be said about the quality and passion being brought to this estate by winemaker Guillaume Pouthier, and this is an estate readers need to be purchasing.

Alexandre Ma

96-97

byAlexandre Mathe5/16/2022

It is so incredible! Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a miracle this year... In such a cool vintage, how does it manage to exhibit such ripe aromas, especially the black fruit notes of prune, dried blueberry, and dried plum? The lines of the body are surprisingly distinct and proportionally structured, coupled with a layer of powdery tannins attached to the taste buds. The pallet is so soft as if your tongue is being caressed by a fairy. How can we resist such an amazing wine? Thanks to the talk with the technical director Guillaume, I learned the secret behind. In order to achieve the best level of ripeness, the winery has adopted an extreme harvest method similar to Sauternes (each plot was harvested 3 times on average). This obsessive-compulsive harvesting method has not only allowed to obtain the grape stems of ideal ripeness (45% whole bunch fermentation) but also create the shining moment for Les Carmes Haut-Brion. In my opinion, it is one of the very few top-quality wines that can surpass the vintage of 2020. ??????, Les Carmes Haut-Brion?????????… ???????,?????????????,??????????????????????????????????,?????????????????;????,??????????,???????????…?????Guillaume?????,?????2021????????????,????????????????“????”??(??????????????)???“???”??????????????????????(45%????),??????Les Carmes Haut-Brion??????????,??????????2020????????

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

Garnet in color, the wine opens with tobacco leaf, cigar box, thyme, herbs, flowers, espresso and red berries. Medium/full-bodied, vibrant, fresh and focused on its purity of fruit as well as its elegance. This sublime wine is silky, and sensuous. This finish is long and refined, with sweet, ripe cherries, dark cocoa, spice, herbs, a drop of citrus and cigar wrapper with a cool touch of salt and crushed rock that come out in the endnotes. The wine was made using 45% whole bunch clusters during fermentation. From a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, pH 3.6. The wine is aging in a combination of 70% new, French oak, 20% foudres and 10% amphora. Drink from 2025-2050. 94-96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

93-95

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion includes 45% whole bunch, the same as the previous vintage with 70% new oak, 20% in new 1800-litre foudres and some in amphora. Interestingly, the whole bunch contribution is less evident here compared to the Le C des Carmes, more assimilated with touches of flint and graphite infusing the mineral-rich black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grip on the entry, plenty of crunchy black fruit infused with graphite, cracked black pepper and cedar underlying marine influences. With a surfeit of freshness on the saline finish, tensile with an almost penetrating minerally aftertaste, this will deserve 5-7 years in bottle. 13.5% alcohol

Vinous

96-98

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

Technical Director Olivier Pouthier crafted one of the wines of the vintage at Les Carmes Haut-Brion. The 2021 possesses mind-blowing intensity and stunning persistence. Bright red-fleshed fruit, blood orange, mint, dried flowers and exotic spice caress the senses as the 2021 shows off its sheer allure. I don't think I have ever tasted a young Carmes with this level of precision. The blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, aged in 70% new oak, 20% new foudres and 10% in amphora. As always, Les Carmes sees some whole cluster, 45% in 2021, an unusual technique in Bordeaux, but one that works so well here. The 2021 is a magical wine. That's all there is to it.

vvwine

96-98

byAdrian Van Velsenthe5/10/2022

(42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot. Verkostet im November und Dezember 2021) Rubinrot. Anfangs verhaltene Nase, dezente Reduktion, braucht etwas Zeit, öffnet sich dann und offenbart ein Puzzle aus Aromen, Veilchen, reife Beeren, Pfefferwürze, Kräuter, Himbeeren, das ist ein Gedicht, eine perfekt gemaltes Duftbild. Im Gaumen frisch, sehr lebendig, die Frucht ist knackig, die Tannine wie immer von ausgezeichneter Qualität, das ist grossartige Präzision, Finesse, Eleganz, der Wein hat Struktur, eine sehr gute Balance, die Säure vibriert, ist nicht aufdringlich, sondern stützt die knackige Frucht, ausgezeichnete Länge im Abgang. Ein magischer Carmes der wie immer stilistisch aus der Reihe tanzt und gerade darum so faszinierend ist. 2027-2048+ (Verkostet im April 2022. Syndicat Viticole de Pessac-Léognan/Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion/Daniel Vins)

Anthocyanes

96-98

byYohan Castaingthe5/6/2022

Assemblages réalisés. Floral, très violette et lilas, cassis "al dente" pour un bouquet d'une grande classe, à la fois frais et éclatant. Boisé parfaitement fondu. Bouche juteuse, suave avec une tension magnifique, une allonge structurante, des tanins veloutés, sapides et très salins ce qui laisse une finale aérienne et subtile. Un Carmes avec plus de mâche, une sensation racinaire plus imposante que d'habitude et une très grande pureté d'ensemble. Belle sensations terriennes également. C'est une très belle grande bouteille en devenir.

Wine Advocate

94-97

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

A brilliant and intensely individual wine, the 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion shows immense potential. Wafting from the glass with aromas of rich berries and plums mingled with notions of raw cocoa, loamy soil, rose petals, burnt sage and vine smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, vibrant and seamless, with a deep, dynamic core of fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Transcending the limitations of the vintage, it wouldn't surprise me were this wine ultimately to surpass the 2019 and 2020 in quality. It's a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot that's maturing in 70% new oak and the rest in 15-hectoliter foudres. Tasted twice.

Decanter.com

96

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/1/2022

Beautiful aromatic complexity on the nose, floral nuances and expressive blackcurrant, black cherry and dark chocolate but you're really getting the perfumed Cabernet fruit. This has an instant presence in the mouth, fully flavoured and juicy but so balanced, nothing sticking out, with the elegance of the ripe cool fruit touching the sides of the mouth. Tannins are present but fine and gently grippy with detail and definition to them. This has a lot of life for the vintage, one of the more full, round wines with chewy, fleshy tannins. The Cabernet gives backbone and density, the Merlot ripe red fruits, and then the chalky, slate, pencil lead, graphite salinity of the terroir comes in on the finish, giving that nuance, the sense of place and the vintage. Great rise and persistence all the way through, such drive but also lift, it doesn't let up. A stand-out wine - extremely classy and memorable. Skilled winemaking on show from Guillaume Pouthier. 5% more tannins than in 2020 which was already high. Grapes were picked at a natural alcohol of 14.2% so no chaptalisation here. 3.6pH. 45% whole bunches. Ageing in 70% new oak, 20% new foundre and 10% amphoras.